Made-in-India Hyundai VERNA scores 5-star rating in Global NCAP test
Hyundai VERNA has earned a five-star rating from the Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP), making it the first India-made Hyundai car to achieve this distinction. This top rating was awarded for both adult and child occupant safety as part of the 'Safer Cars for India' campaign. Even though VERNA's structure was deemed unstable during testing, it still managed to secure the highest rating, thanks to its basic passive safety features like six airbags and Electronic Stability Control (ESC).
Child restraint system failure observed during test
During a side impact test, a Child Restraint System (CRS) failure was observed. However, the CRS manufacturer claimed it was a one-off incident. To confirm this, Global NCAP conducted another higher energy side impact test, which showed no further signs of CRS failure. The organization's crash test protocols evaluate frontal and side impact protection for all models, as well as ESC. To achieve top star ratings, vehicles must also undergo pedestrian protection and side impact pole protection assessments.
Hyundai joins 5-star safety club
Alejandro Furas, Secretary General of Global NCAP, welcomed Hyundai to the 5-star car club and commended the company's efforts to enhance safety performance in emerging markets. He urged Hyundai to keep focusing on safety and broaden the availability of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technologies across its entire model range worldwide. David Ward, President of the Towards Zero Foundation, expressed satisfaction with the Hyundai VERNA's performance as the 'Safer Cars For India' campaign comes to an end.
Over 60 cars tested under 'Safer Cars for India' program
Since 2014, Global NCAP has tested over 60 cars under its 'Safer Cars for India' program. The Tata Nexon was the first model to receive a five-star rating, followed by Altroz and Punch. Mahindra XUV300, XUV700, and Scorpio N have also achieved five-star ratings. Ward hinted at more tests before Bharat NCAP starts its own testing later this month, stating, "It will be interesting to see how the remaining Safer Cars For India models perform in our crash testing."
